Bottle centering and capping machine



1933- H. L. COMPTON BOTTLE CENTERING AND CAPPING MAHINE' Filed Jan. 8,1932 Patentec Nov. 14, 1933 UNITED? sTATEs BOTTLE CENTERING AND CAPPINGMACHINE Harry L. Compton, Washington, D. C., assignor to American DairySupply Company, Washing-' ton, D. C.

Application January 8, 1932. Serial No. 585,602

2 Claims.

Thisinvention relates to bottle capping maas an attachment for standardcapping machine and to center a bottle for the capping operation, and totemporarily hold the cap in position accurately above the top of thebottle and below the '10 plunger in the operation.

This invention comprses a plunger chamber having the customary plungertherein arranged for vertical reciprocation, and in the path of theplunger carried by the Wall of the chamber are spaced levers pivotallyattached and actuated only by the movements of the plunger in oppositedirections whereby the bottom cap is tempo- ;rarily supported and thebottle is centered accurately beneath the plunger.

In the accompanying drawing there is illustrated the form of thisinvention believed to be best adapted for the purpose, and of suchSimplicity ,of structure that the apparatus will not get out of order bycontinued or rapid'service.

Fig. 1 of the drawing is a vertical sectional view of a plunger chamberand a supporting member, showing this invention applied thereto. Fig. 2is a cross section taken on the broken line 2-2 of Fig. 1. i

Throughout the drawing and description the same number is used to referto the same part.

Considering the drawing, capping machines usually are provided with themember 1 arranged below the plunger devices and having an opening 5';for receiving the top of the bottle 2. The caps are depositedone at atime from the cap magazine chamber 3 and are served upon the uppersurface of the member 1 in the ordinary way. The cap serving mechanismconstitutes no part 1 of this invention and is not shown. One afteranother upon and along the surface 4 the caps 5 are pushed into placebelow the plunger chamber 6 and plunger 7. The plunger is adapted forreciprocating movement in the chamber. In a suitable slot or slots inthe wall of the chamber 6 are rocking levers 8 having the pivots '9between their ends as illustrated. Any number of levers, as thosedesignated 11 and 12 may be introduced, and this invention is notlimited 9 to the particular positions illustrated in Fig. 2. It will benoted thatthe upper and lower surfaces of the levers presented to theplunger head are oppositely inclined, and in the operation of thisinvention the following condition of things 5 takes place repeatedly:-

' An upward movement of the plunger head into the position indicated bythe broken lines in Fig.

1 Contacts with the upper inclin'es of the levers and moves the lowerend thereof with the ledge or shoulder 10 into position to receive andtempo.- eo. rarily hold cap 5 exactly in the path of the plunger. 'Asthe plunger moves down it contacts with the lower inclines of the leversmoving them away from the cap. It will be here 'noted that the sameupward plunger movement that acts to hold the cap by actuating thelevers, brings the lower ends of the levers against the top of thebottle, and as the levers are spaced apart the bottle islcentered in theopening of the member 1. The down ward or capping movement of theplunger re- 7 moves the shoulder 10 from beneath the cap and out of theway of the skirt of the cap 5, if as illustrated the cap is one of theso-called over-all pattern.

It is not intended to limit this invention to the precise shape anddisposition of the levers or other parts, and itisvthought that theabove explanation of the operation makes sufficiently. clear the factthat the levers are operated only by the movements of the plunger, andthat no 30 springs are employed in this Construction.

Having now described this invention and the manner of its use, Iclaimz- 1. In a bottle centering and capping machine, the combinationwith a cap magazine, of a 5- plunger chamber adjacent thereto, a supporti whereon caps may be served from the magazine to the plunger cylinderand having an opening 4 for the top of a bottle, a plunger adapted forreciprocating movement in said chamber, a plurality of spaced slots inthe wall of said chamber, levers locatedin said slots and pvotallyattached to said wall, each of said levers having above and below thepivot portions presented in the path of said plunger whereby the tops ofthe levers are moved outwardly by the plunger during its upward movementand inwardly by its downward movement, and each of said levers having atits lower end a portion formed and arranged to contact with and center abottle in the opening of said support. g

' 2. In a bottle centering and capping machine; the combination with acap magazine, of a plunger chamber adjacent thereto, a support whereoncaps may be served from the magazine to the plunger chamber and havingan opening to receive the top of a bott1e,` a plunger adapted forreciprocating movement in said chamber, a plurality of slots in the wallof said chamber, levers located in said slots and pivotally attached tosaid levers having at its lower end portons formed to contact With andcenter a bottle in said opening and a shoulder disposed to engage andposition a cap during the upward movement of the plunger.

r HARRY L. COMPTON.

